Lost In Time

For this letter I think i will try my hand at gnomish. I haven’t actually met any gnomes yet but I don’t want to be rude when I do. I haven’t written for a while,…nearly a month now, I think. Without clocks and calendars it’s hard to keep track of time. I know that won’t make any difference to you. I know if even one of these letters survives to get into your hands, then they all will, and you’ll read them one after the other. So Jacob Kohl came back into town just before we did and had a,…well, a vision is what you could call it. He said he knew where the supplies were that we were supposed to get from that town I told you about. He knew right where it was and how to get there, sort of like a human GPS. We were followed and then attacked by Pirates along the way and took their boat into custody after we had it out with the lot of them. They attacked us on land- they weren’t very good pirates. Well, to make a long story short- we got the supplies Lokiju sent us after, sold the boat for a proffit and got back to town.
Things were starting to settle down to a normal pace for the rest of the month, until last week we met the Shield riders. There’s a country called the Shieldlands that Andrew sits on the boarder of. They are at war with the empire of Iuz (I’m not making this up!), who lokiju says is run by the son of Iggwilv- Gina’s alter ego. Anyway, the whole town gets on edge because someone spotted these mysterious riders comming into town. It turns out this guy Cathan is the leader of the calvelry from the Shieldlands army and he lets us have the bad news. There is an army on the move from the Empire of Iuz marching this way, he thinks, looking for us. The good news is that he and his Eddie’s Dozen horsemen are here to escourt the whole village to Greyhawk- a huge city of over (don’t laugh) 100,000 people. He says we’ll be safe there. Lokiju thinks it over and decides to move the population into Greyhawk. I know how hard it is to travel around here- I’ve been doing it without a car for a while now, and I know a village can’t outrun an army for long.
I come up with a plan to stage the village to make it look like we all left a long time ago. I think it worked because we didn’t see the army so much as we dealt with their scouts- and that was after we were on the road for a few days. We had to make a beeline for a port called, Seawall. It was pretty much just that- a big wall around the town that sat at the shore of the sea. Once were got there we were safe and have to take this boat to Greyhawk. I know- another boat. Well you did marry a sailor. Now it’s another 4 days on this boat until we make port in Greyhawk. I can’t wait, my wounds are nearly healed. I got them in the fight with the scouts…
So we were on the road, and on the run, escorting the caravan of wagons to Seawall when the rear guard spots some riders comming over the hills behind us. They were goblins riding large wolves, but the locals here told us later they were probably worgs, whatever those are. Lokiju and Cathan rode ahead pushing the Caravan faster, but we knew it would be spotted soon and, after a short brainstorming session, decided to let the inevitable fight come to us, and we set up an ambush.
There we all were, waiting for the smelly (they really smell bad) goblins and worgs to get close enough for most of us to attack. Quite a few of us have guns, but the rest of us are using the local weaponry now, so we wanted to wait. A huge beetle flew right into my eye while I was watching for them and I shook the bush I was behind trying to get it out- in short I ruined the ambush,…mostly. I knew they saw me so a made it look like I was running for the caravan, which I am sure they saw too by now. It worked to a degree, and they all seemed to be trying to run me down. I knew my friends were nearby, hidden and ready to get my back. I also knew we had superior weapons, but once those riders were going at top speed to catch me, and started throwing javelins at me, I’ve never been more scared. The group attacked one the riders were there, but there were move of them than us, so some got threw to me. I was being skewered, bitten, bashed, and flanked by two riders. I didn’t see too much of the others, but from glances I saw a few doing well and getting the upper hand, and a few that looked worse off than me. I wanted to call for help from Aggie- She’s the nurse we picked up in Cambodia before we went through the portal, but now she uses the magic to heal people. Anyway, I saw she was having a hard time with one rider and I didn’t want to distract her by calling for help. I was really bad-off, and all I could think to do was get close enough to her for her to notice how bad I needed help. I started to attack the one Aggie was defending against and with Gabe’s help we put him away, I looked over the shoulder of my attackers and saw the others were doing much better than I was so I finally called for help. Aggie used her magic and I suddenly felt a tiny bit better, then I got bit hard and blacked out.
I awoke to Aggie’s magic touch. We won the fight and Aggie worked her magic on the worst of our wounds, the rest would have to heal in time. When I was real close to death I could feel the magic flow through me and heal me up. The closest thing I can think of is like when you, me, and Chris went out that morning in winter last year (for me), and we played in the snow for hours until we couldn’t feel our noses or toes. Just after we got inside, and into dry clothes, you made some hot chocolate….that first sip you can feel warming you up all the way down- that’s what healing magic feels like.
Now I know why I waited so long to write another letter to you and Chris. Every time I do, I start thinking of you two, then I start remembering all the stupid little things you take for granted everyday, like electricity, running water,…especially hot, toilet paper, disposable razors. Most importanly, I’m reminded of how much I miss you both. After we get to Greyhawk and settle all the folks into the city, I’ll try to write again,…

Tonight I am speaking Dwarven while I write this for practice, though I am wispering because the others are sleeping very close. You would not think I was born and raised in Chicago to look at me now. I’ve been camping in the wilderness- we all have for several nights now. I am getting ahead of myself, let me go back a week.

We helped the villagers who took us in defend their little village from an attack. There are these things called orcs and goblins that are basically like humans but very primitive and rude, and ugly. They stole a child during the attack and we tracked them down to their camp in the woods. That took us all day to do. We went to scout out if the kid was there and they attacked us, so we attacked back. It was all very dangerous but no one here has guns, though after being sliced into by a sword, I think I’d rather be shot. Don’t worry, Aggie patched me up good. Remember the magic I told you about, well it does some amazing stuff. Anyway it turns out that some traders in the forest had the kid the whole time so all we really did at the orc camp was serve up some payback for Andrew.

The next day Lokiju told us that we’d be expected to go and get some supplies for Andrew from another village about 4 days away. Some of the other’s wanted to be paid for the job, but as I see it- the clothed us, fed us, gave us a place to stay, and even tought us some of the languages, and magic, and the rest of the wonders we found waiting for us here in this world.

We were loaned 3 horses (yeah, I learned to ride one), and rode off to the Crossroads. It’s a trading town full of ruthless traders and travelers. We thought we’d fit right in. I had a little trouble with the language, but managed to do well bartering with or for the others. We got a room at the Inn (looked more like a bed-and-breakfast to me) and went to the local tavern for some hot food. We’d been eating the dried fruits and meats Lokiju gave us for the trip, and it was already sickening. After the meal, a fight broke out in the tavern and we all departed the area quickly- at least I thought we did.

We were just outside the tavern when we heard a gun-blast and noticed Ross wasn’t with us. Aggie went to the Inn and the rest of us went to help Ross. He pulled his gun in a barfight! We left without anyone stopping us, but drew way too much attention. I thought he fired in the air to stop the fight. Later I found out that he shot a man and killed him, but that he was armed as well. The local P.D. came to the Inn to arrest him and he drew his gun again. I don’t think there is a more intense time than just before a “talk” turns to a “fight”, but I stepped in. I talked Ross into going with the arrest, and I defended him at his trial the next day. The legal system is much faster here, unfortunately so are the punishments. I would’ve liked more time to prepare, but I won over a few locals and eventually the Judge- or whatever he was.

We rode on (one day behind schedule) and arrived at Tarren Mill as it was burning, and it’s people lay slaughtered. There was one survivor. A boy of 10 years, named Christopher. He told us how these big green things (I think it was a troll), came in and killed everyone while he hid. They took the cart of supplies we were sent here to get and torched the town. It only happened hours before we arrived, and the buildings must’ve been protected from fire somehow (magic), because the fires were small and we put them out quickly.

It is hard to look at him and not think of our son Christopher. Even though this one is older than our’s, I can easilly imagine our Christopher growing and acting like this young boy. Anyway, we tracked the cart to the woods a half-dozen miles away and then the footprints from that to the edge of some huge lake. We couldn’t follow anymore. Christopher didn’t have any other family he knew of so, when we got back to Tarren Mill, I took the town register, and left a warning sign for any travelers to watch out for trolls, and the like. We started back for Andrew after holding a funeral service for the victims of the attack.

This is our third night on the road and we should be reaching Andrew tomorrow. Oh yeah, we had to go around the Crossroads trading post because they don’t have a jail so every crime is either punishable by death or banishment. Instead of just banishing Ross for properly defending himself, which ended in a death for the other guy, the Magistrate-guy banished us all. I hope Lokiju isn’t too ticked-off that we don’t have the supplies they sent us to get. I have to go now, there’s something spooking the horses.

I know this is a shock to read, but I must not have made it back to you if you are reading this, and the others to come. I have been learning a few new languages and speaking these words in the new language is good practice while I write them. I am speaking Elven. Not “Lord of the Rings” elven but true fairy-tail, pointed ears, elven. Let me tell you what’s happened so far…

That job I was doing for the Shadow Corp- the one that had Johny come by and put you and Christopher in the safe place- that’s where we all went wrong. The job turned into a worldwide treasure hunt for these ancient talismans that somehow powered some mystical table in Egypt. It’s in a secret room off the secret temple under the Sphinx. I can tell you this now because I am sure it doesn’t matter anymore, but I couldn’t tell you then. I am sorry.

The Talismans were thought to lead to an opening, or portal of sorts to Atlantis…just like your sci-fy shows. That’s what Jacob Kincaid and Paul Levine said anyhow. Well that was the big deal that we couldn’t talk about because there was this other world-wide organization, the Radiant group, who were after it too. They are the ones that tried to kill us on several occasions, and the ones you and Christopher were hiding from. Stay away from those guys. They are, mostly demons,..who can seem human to most.

Let me explain that one. This other scientist, Ross Ewage, had this weird eye-spray that allowed you to see through their masking aura. I think it was called a glamour. Anyway, they’ve been around since like the dawn of history looking for these Talismans that Alexander the Great, or Socrates, or Aristotle hid all over the ancient world. I forget how the story went but we found the map to where they were hidden in Greece. Thus the treasure hunt with psycho demons on our tail and threatening our familys.

We did catch up to them holding Gina Wilvo, Hiro Kwon, Paul Levine, Rodger Mason, and Dan Ross in Egypt. We got the bad guys and freed the hostages but the bastards had a bomb hidden and the timer already set. We ran deeper into the hidden tunnel off the hidden chamber behind the hidden temple under the Sphinx. Talk about redundant, huh? But we didn’t find the bomb, it went off.

I know you may have been told that we all died in the blast, and I’m sure that’s how it looked when and if they get the rubble dug up- but we didn’t. We were too far undergroud to be effected by the blast, but we also couldn’t get out either. We found the portal to Atlantis and Gina got sucked in because she got too close before we knew it was “on”. We pondered any other way out for close to 6 hours and couldn’t think up one thing. Rodger warned us to stay connected going through and Jim Brower used his rope to make sure we didn’t lose our grip. Through the looking glass we went.

We should’ve guessed because Gina didn’t come back the whole time we waited, but the trip was one-way. We found some old guy waiting for us, and we weren’t in Atlantis. According to the smart guys here, they say we went through a wormhole that transported us to another world or to Earth some million years ago or something. Let’s just say I’m looking into dinosaur repellant while I’m here. I haven’t seen one yet, but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.

Time,…that’s the other thing. We asked about Gina and the elder (he’s a midget), Lokiju who is a halfling, told us she came through 3000 years before us! The wormhole dialates time so it passes by at different speeds on one side or the other- I think. Anyway they miss-pronounced her name and she must’ve had amnesia from the wormhole because it stuck. They showed us her Lab ID badge that had somehow gotten burned slightly. Her name Iggina A. Wilvo, looked like Igg*******Wilv*, so that’s what she goes by now, Iggwilv. Oh yeah, I guess she found the fountain of youth or something because she’s still kicking and is like a god around here. Everyone is afraid of her. All I know is that she owes me a paycheck. I’d look into that with her Father, the CEO of Shadow Corp, if I were you.

This is a strange world that is like a page out of a Tolken novel and the histories of the Middle-ages, but with magic. They call it magic but it’s like some kind of advanced mind-science. I don’t quite understand it but the smart guys are taking to it like the Cubs take the feild on opening day. I got to go for now. I miss you and Christopher so much even though it’s only been a day here.

They are letting us stay in their food warehouse for now because there is scarely a roof for every head here. There are lots of cats here to chase off the mice. Your mom would love it here. The candle is almost out, but if a few hours there is 1,000 years here, I won’t see you again. Maybe these pages will find their way to you. When he’s old enough, let Christopher read them too. I miss you both.

A blog for your campaign

While the wiki is great for organizing your campaign world, it’s not the best way to chronicle your adventures. For that purpose, you need a blog!

The Adventure Log will allow you to chronologically order the happenings of your campaign. It serves as the record of what has passed. After each gaming session, come to the Adventure Log and write up what happened. In time, it will grow into a great story!

Best of all, each Adventure Log post is also a wiki page! You can link back and forth with your wiki, characters, and so forth as you wish.

One final tip: Before you jump in and try to write up the entire history for your campaign, take a deep breath. Rather than spending days writing and getting exhausted, I would suggest writing a quick “Story So Far” with only a summary. Then, get back to gaming! Grow your Adventure Log over time, rather than all at once.